


Intimacy in a Hostile Land

by Pupmon1



Series: Hollow Knight [2]
Category: Hollow Knight (Video Games)
Genre: F/F, Intimacy, Rating May Change, Shippy Drabbles, Sometimes you just wanna write bugs being soft, headcannon heavy
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-13
Updated: 2020-05-13
Packaged: 2021-03-02 20:40:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,120
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24163000
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pupmon1/pseuds/Pupmon1
Summary: Hornet gets used to touches one day at a time.
Relationships: Hornet/Lace (Hollow Knight)
Series: Hollow Knight [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1745449
Comments: 4
Kudos: 47





	Intimacy in a Hostile Land

So far from home...trapped in a strange land surrounded by strange people, Hornet could do nothing but run. She didn't know who were friendly, so she treated all with cold hostility.

Well not completely cold hostility. But she couldn't trust them, not fully. She took their help, but never far, and she never let them see her injured or weak.

She would never let them see her like this. Her motion could no longer be called running. She needed to stop. She couldn't stop.

She scanned her surroundings, trying to find...something! There! Dense under growth..but enough room to wiggle under. She pulled aside brambles and used to arms to dig a bit until she could finally wiggle under. The space was tight...and it was safe.

She rubbed her arms, stimulating the production of silk. She leaned forward and starts to secure her webbing to the entrance, pulling the bush down and making the space tighter. She crouched forward and sighed in the space. Tight, dark, and warm.

She let her eyes closed as she curled up more. The darkness of sleep overcame her. She was so tired...it was easy.

Staying asleep was harder. Every sound threatened her slumber...until footsteps on leaves jerked her to reality. She barely moved, only shifting to put a hand on her needle.

The steps were light...someone trying to hide their presence. Hornet softened her breathing and made sure she was still.

The steps moved closer and Hornet had to focus to keep her shell-mask still. Then the sound stopped. Her mouth turned bitter, and for a moment her attention shifted to that.

Was she so panicked that she started making venom? She frowned a little. Fine. In such an enclosed place she needed every advantage. Quietly, as much as possible, she put a hand on her shell-mask to help it pull back. Her jaw shifted, and her chelicerae with it. She just needed to be ready.

Her mind focused back when sound started again. More steps...further away? No...closer. Hornet stopped breathing. Move past...moved past move-

The foot steps stopped right in front of her little crook. Hands pulled at her webbing and Hornet braced herself.

Sterling white was all she registered before she rushed forward. Brambles pulled at her cloak. No matter. She slashed at whoever was trying to invade her nook.

Her nail only met air. The weight pulled her forward and she crashed to the ground. Her carapace groaned in response. Pressing a spare hand against the pain in her side she tried to scrambled to her feet. The nail felt so heavy in her hand. She raised it to the bug, and she growled.

Lace. The one who had chased her all through this blighted land. The white clad bug brandished her pin.

"We meet again, little spider~" The coo in her voice stabbed at Hornet. Lace turned her hand, and she darted forward.

Hornet ducked to the side and pushed forward to slam her needle into Lace's chest. Too slow. She only slashed air as Lace lept over her head. Again the weight sent her crashing to the ground. This time though, she lost the grip on her weapon, the needle clattering away from her.

All four arms worked to push her back to her feet. Someone cried when a firm foot slammed into her side. Hornet wasn't sure who was the source.

Hornet clawed at the ground to stop her skid. She growled and snarled and tried to get up. Hands pushed her onto her back, and she thrashed wildly. She found purchase on puffy clothes and yanked.

Soft silk brushed her pedipalps. She lunged forward. Chitin cracked under her fangs. A poisonous bitterness soaked her tongue, and a sharp pain exploded in her side.

Her assailant finally stumbled away. She gripped her side, blood stuck to her fingers.

A firm kick knocked her onto her back and a foot between her shoulder blades pinned her down, nearly crushing her spine. She was too weak to get up again.

"I've finally caught you little spider. Any last words?"

"Just do it already. Finish this." Hornet tried to keep her voice firm, but she couldn't stop the soft whine that tainted it.

There was a beat of silence...then the pressure softened. Hornet just closed her eyes and pulled her shellmask over her face. She accepted her death...Lace had won...she had lost.

The strike never came. The next thing to touch Hornet were soft hands, rolling her onto her side. She was too weak to fight it.

Her heard Lace curse, then felt a cloth press against the wound. Darkness hazed the edges her vision, and she must've started hallucinating. Lace looked worried...and she muttered something about helping Hornet.

Lace would never say that. That's all Hornet could think as darkness overcame her vision.

* * *

Hornet jerked awake on a soft moss bed. She blinked and tried to sit up. There were bandages wrapped around her body, they pressed against her carapace as she moved. Still she forced herself up.

She shifted positions slightly and quickly noticed two things. Her extra arms were wrapped up, bound behind her back at an awkward angle. When the plates of her shell mask shifted positions, she noticed it was wrapped up too.

She raised her hand to remove them, only for it to be slapped away. The action jerked her awareness to her surroundings. A cave...lit by Lumaflies...cold and damp. Comfortable.

Her head snapped at the sound of movement and her body scrambled back when she found Lace staring at her.

"You're awake, little spider."

"To what prison have you brought me?"

"One where you can heal."

Hornet was taken aback by the answer. Heal? Lace was trying to kill her. Why would she want her to heal?!

She reached for her needle...and finally the last piece fell into place. Hornet was stark naked. She drew her legs close to cover herself.

"What game are you playing?"

"No game...when I kill you, it will be after an exhilarating fight. Not...that."

Hornet's eyes narrowed. "And I should trust you?"

Lace rolled her eyes and turned, grabbing something from behind her. Hornet's needle. It was awkward her hand, but that didn't stop her from throwing it to Hornet.

"I don't expect you to trust me. But you won't get far if you don't let yourself heal. If you leave this cave...I'll assume you're well enough to fight. I'm showing mercy this time...I won't do so again."

Hornet pulled her needle closer and nodded. She just had to take Lace's word...and sleep with a few eyes open.


End file.
